She
by Momosportif
Summary: Unrequited MarciaAstrid - implied SigrunTanith. Probes a potential version of the events that led to Astrid's escape from her engagement with Lekain and her first encounter with the Royal Knights. Play with style. : Character's are Nintendo's. Enjoy!


A little game with style...the idea is that the name at the beginning of each section is the subject of all of the sentences that follow. To that end, I tried to make who is speaking clearer by putting the dialog of whoever is NOT the subject of each section on it's own line...I hope it's clear. :)

Oh! Also, the sections are supposed to bleed together in that the first word of the next section is also the last word of the section before it. XD This will probably make more sense while reading it...

Enjoy and thank you so much for reading!!!

* * *

"Sigrun,"

she said it hard and did not hide her hurt.

watches the stiff chest rise and fall and answers in her gentlest voice. "Yes?"

"I cannot let this happen,"

sees the tightness of fury in the way her neck moves side to side and quickly checks her fear because she is the authority. "It is not an issue of 'can' and 'cannot'…"

"Would you say that if she stood here now and you were the woman lying awake in your bed tonight?"

lets her shoulder tense but stands her ground and will not step back. "I could not say…"

"No! You would say no and you know it. There is no other answer. I cannot let this happen,"

prays that this is the end but knows her breath is not yet spent,

"We cannot let this happen."

lets the silence fill the space and escape into the night.

holds her ground.

"Do not deceive yourself."

feels the words spoken low and heavy crawling up her skin, burning. "The world is not so flexible: our world is not so flexible-"

"Perhaps not to a will like yours."

feels her shoulders slipping.

wishes she could find the voice to answer, "Am I not standing here with you?" but knows it is not within her.

tries.

"I will not let this happen. I will not let her die so young."

whispers to herself, "You speak of death where it does not belong-"

"Will she draw breath as a Duchess? Will her heart beat when he holds her still to the-"

speaks from deep in fear and sharply, "Stop it! Stop it!"

regrets.

"No. You must stop it. There is but one issue of 'can' and 'cannot' and it lies upon your word."

feels her eyes sting with emptiness.

"No one will say that I am not loyal. I know my place."

watches the steely eyes from beneath still lashes and feels her strength slipping into the night.

wishes she could find the voice to answer, "An ironic time to reference my position," but knows it is not within her.

thinks of herself in a bed awake on this cold, cold night, waiting helplessly for the day she would no longer be alone.

feels a voice somewhere high between her breasts, slightly below her sternum. "As the commander of the Holy Guard I have no opinion and I will not make the order you are seeking. However, sweet Tanith, I am a woman of Tellius."

smiles softly, feeling every muscle ache in the effort. "I will not let this happen. Send word to

* * *

Astrid,"

remains still, not believing in the voice she was praying she'd hear.

"Astrid, my lady,"

lets her chest expand fully as she rises to her elbows and gravity deceives itself into overestimating her weight. "I am here."

hears her voice from somewhere else in the room.

"I have come to take you."

watches the shadow move against the flat night to her side.

sees the eyes so often sharpened soft for the first time and does not move. "I cannot go…"

"That is your father speaking. Your mother-"

"The honor of my family lies upon my movement. You see? Even now, my breathing is essential, the way I hold myself; it is all important. Please do not disturb my balance."

"Where is the balance in the bond you are staying for? Where is the balance when you have no say and he has, at the very least, twenty more years than you? I see no balance to disturb, my lady."

listens to the beat somewhere else in the room. "Lady Sigrun-"

"Gives her blessing,"

feels warmth pulsing hard and fast with the beat that she hears, it is somewhere high between her breasts, slightly below her sternum. "You must understand," speaks more rapidly than her lips can move, speaks with her whole body, shouts in the dark, "I do not want this, I do not want to stay. Everything I said, I didn't-"

"There is nothing to explain, my lady."

returns the firm grip with her own weak fingers and tries to recall when their hands found each other.

"But we must go. Quickly."

stands without effort; the night is lighter. "I act upon your word."

"It is my honor to command,"

follows the bend of a body made slim by both the most severe discipline and an incomprehensible freedom.

"If there is any item you wish to bring with you, now is the time…"

does not let her eyes move because there is nothing to see. "I am ready. All that is dear to me here cannot be carried."

gives silent thanks to the soldier for honoring her good-bye with more heartbeats of pause than time could allow.

follows.

notes that the air does not feel the same upon her skin, brushes by quickly as if aware she is now a criminal,

takes breath that stops in her throat and understands for the first time the feeling they label exhilaration.

"Oh, Lady Astrid,"

"Commander Sigrun,"

feels the eyes heavy with indecision and melancholy moving up along her form to her face where they rest, convinced.

"Even in retreat you retain your beauty. This is not an easy thing."

"Thank you, Commander."

watches without a pulse of emotion as their eyes converse and then their mouths.

"Shall she leave by the north gate?"

"It would be wiser to take the west, I think. They should be changing shift as we speak."

"Then we must move with haste,"

perceives her surroundings sliding forward but cannot recall her movements.

"Can you ride, Lady Astrid?"

"It is one of my greatest pleasures."

"A happy coincidence, my lady."

feels the question in Tanith's glance as it passes over her and finds the means to halt as Sigrun takes the lead, pries open the doors to a world she has often wondered about. takes in the waves of warmth and sweet hay scent until the leather of reins finds her palm.

"Can you mount him?"

"It will be no trouble at all."

"It would be best to ride through the night, until midday if you can,"

"We will stop when we tire. I am practiced at disappearing here; it should be no different wherever the road might take us."

smiles.

lets her lips set firmly in the upward curve as she takes in her saviors, Sigrun returning a delicate shadow of her own expression, and Tanith, tense but letting her tight lips tuck up at the corners. "I thank you."

feels her body rise with an ease she did not know was possible.

loops her leg around like breathing.

"Before you go, my lady,"

pulls to a halt, lets the stop flow through the bend of her spine to her neck to her head, canceling the shock.

tosses her bangs out of her eyes.

"If you find yourself in Crimea, there is a friend of ours who will help you…"

locks her amber eyes with Sigrun's somber cerulean.

listens.

"Her name is

* * *

Marcia!"

shrugs off the sound with a scowl.

"Marcia!"

"What do you want, I'm- Oh," hides her embarrassment in closing the stall door with more force than necessary. "Sorry, commander, I didn't"

"It's fine, it's fine."

watches the dismissive wave with a smile born of fear.

wonders if the thoughts beneath the crop of fiery blue hair match the words she just heard.

"Someone just arrived and asked to see you."

opens her mouth before even letting the statement sink in. "What?"

"A lady just rode into the capital and requested to speak with you."

studies the features she's just recently gotten decent at reading and sees a lack of sleep behind confusion behind business.

"I sent her to the Queen, regulations, you know, and she doesn't seem dangerous, but,"

lets her chest rise and fall with Geoffrey's deep sigh but no air passes through her lungs,

"well, I'll be on hand if something happens. This way."

steps lightly in his iron tread and wracks her brains.

comes to the conclusion that there must be some kind of mistake, no one would come to visit her, she has no-

"She's right there, talking with Makalov."

sees the world disappear to leave her alone in the presence of the most radiant creature she's ever laid eyes upon.

"As I said, I'll be here."

hears nothing but her pounding heart somewhere in her throat.

hears her voice break that silence like a hammer on full armor. "Makalov! Out of my way, you fuzz-brain! Aren't you supposed to be on patrol? Stop lurking about, you lazy bum!"

keeps her brows bent low as she follows his retreat with a fierce frown.

wishes she hadn't snapped like that. "Sorry about him… hope he didn't bother you too much."

takes in the face, its curves, its points.

"He was no bother!"

"Well, good."

"Quite charming, actually,"

tries to breathe but finds it difficult.

melts under the amber spot lights.

"Are you, Marcia?"

"Yeah, that's me. Who are you?"

hopes she didn't sound aggressive.

"I'm… oh, do you think we could go somewhere else? Somewhere quieter?"

looks back to the stable doors where Geoffrey is standing, fingering the hinges. "Sure. Follow me."

reaches for the pale hand but stops herself in time.

steers her by the shoulder to the empty sentry post and shuts the door behind them.

offers the seat knowing she will not take it.

falls into those eyes.

"My name is Astrid… I… I've come a long way… from Begnion,"

fights to focus on the pale chin.

"Someone said you might help me…"

gives up and takes in the snowy neck and shoulders… "All the way from Begnion? No wonder you look so worn out."

"Mm."

"Oh, I'm sorry! Did I say something wrong?"

"No, I… it's nothing."

"Okay," numbs her raging desire to put a finger to that perfect skin and see if it might shatter. "I'm sure I can get you a place to stay in the palace for a while, if that's okay… Any friend of a Royal Knight is a friend of the Queen."

"You… you are a soldier?"

is dimly aware of her cheeks burning. "Yeah. I started out in Begnion, actually, a Pegasus Knight in the Holy- Oh!"

puts a hand to the wall as they move back together.

feels quick warm breaths somewhere high between her breasts, slightly below her sternum.

"Then you would know, you would understand!"

feels a tear sink through her shirt to her skin, then another, and another-

"I was supposed to marry the Duke of Gaddos,"

shakes with each silent sob that rocks the body pressed to hers.

"I have shamed a noble family,"

considers restraining her fingers.

"I have endangered the Commander and her second-in-command,"

sees them reaching against her will, straining-

"and now I am alone."

buries them in the fine, soft waves, and holds her close. "Hey, it's okay, come on…"

lifts her hands like an apprehended thief as she rises abruptly.

"I will work! I will do the most horrible and tiring jobs! I will fight! I will do anything, but please,"

lets her palms fall captive to their fairer fellows,

"do not make me go back… let me stay at your side. I beg of you."

"Easy, easy! You don't have to-"

"I will prove my worth, I promise!"

"You don't have to-"

loses her words in those deep, deep eyes. "You won't have to go anywhere, it's okay, I promise. No one has to know why you're here, you can stay…"

tries to read the delicate features but cannot concentrate as the grip tightens in search of sincerity. "You can ride, right?"

goes on before the nod brings that face to meet hers again, that face- "And you can fight?"

"I've used a bow before…"

"Hm, well we'll see what we can do, okay?"

squeezes thin fingers before letting them go, quickly before she is unable to let go and- "Come with me, okay? We can stick together, it will be fine. You're safe. I promise."

means every word, will fight as well now that she has a reason.

will prove her worth. "Come on,"

"Marcia…"

bites her tongue and shuts her eyes at the embrace from behind.

"You are every bit as kind as Lady Sigrun said you would be. I thank you."

pauses.

allows her mind to race through possibilities and wishes she could find the voice to answer, "You're welcome," but remembers a smile so similar to her own and swallows.

"It's nothing."

* * *

So, in case it wasn't clear, I was toying with the possibility of Sigrun and Tanith helping Astrid escape her engagement to Lekain as well as dabbling in the AstridMarcia pairing. The idea at the end though is that Marcia decides not to act on her attraction to Astrid because she "remembers a smile so similar to her own", aka thinks back on seeing Astrid and Makalov talking moments before and gives her up for Maki's sake.

:s

Hope you liked it and feel free to critique (kindly, preferably...I have decided to respond to rude people from now on by saying "Thank you for your judgment, Ashera" XD)

A thousand thank yous!

-S


End file.
